Green tea has been all the buzz for over a decade now, and the reason why? Not only is pretty damn tasty in a smoothie, but it works wonders on your skin, body and hair. Here are some great beauty tricks with the antioxidant-loaded anti-inflammatory ingredient front and center. Please make note: The following DIY beauty recipes all include brewed, cooled green tea.
DIY Green Tea Beauty Recipes For The Face:
- Cooling Toner Take ¼ cup cooled green tea, 2 Tbsp cucumber juice and 1 Tbsp aloe vera gel, blended thoroughly. Pour into a spray bottle and you’ve got a cooling, soothing toner perfect for every skin tone. Keep stored in the fridge.
- Simple Toner: Brew and cool a tea bag. Apply to the face. Voila! You can also mix it up with a proper cup of tea (green tea, brewed, then add lemon and honey). Apply with a cotton ball. Keep leftovers chilled in the refrigerator.
- Cleanser Booster: Add a couple tablespoons of loose green tea to your regular creamy cleanser, stir it up and slather it on. Let it sit for five minutes to soften dead skin cells and then gently rub and rinse to buff them away.
- Breakout Battler: Take brewed, cooled green tea and apply to your face with a cotton pad. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
- Blemish fighter: Brew a cup of green tea with 2 bags, add 2 drops of tea tree and lavender oil, take the mixture and freeze in an ice cube tray. Works wonders on bug bites or as a spot treatment. You can also take the solution and pour into a spray bottle for an acne-fighting toner.
- Green Tea Eye Treatment: Take 2 green tea bags, soak in cold water, then simply plop over your eyes for 20 minutes. The chill will soothe and revive the eye area while the caffeine can ease swelling. [Click on to read more…]
- Green Tea Face Masks: Tear open two tea bags, mix in a tablespoon of baking soda and drizzle with honey. If it seems too thick to adequately spread on your face, thin it out with a little olive oil. Leave on the skin for 15 minutes.
- Green Tea & Lemon Juice Toner Mask: Antioxidants, acne-fighters and citric acid to the rescue! Take 2 Tbsp of green tea, ½ tsp of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of turmeric. Mix well, apply to the face with the help of a cotton ball. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly.
- Green Tea Yogurt Mask: Yogurt is a miracle worker for masks. Try taking 1 tsp of yogurt, 1 tsp lemon and the inside of a brewed green tea bag and apply it to entire face. Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse. It fights blemishes and hydrates and balances the skin. Mash up half a banana and throw it in for dry skin.
- Green Tea Breakfast Mask: Tear open 3 fresh green tea bags and mix the contents with a teaspoon of moisturizer. Mix in 1/8 tsp sugar, then add 2 egg yolks, about a tsp of warm water, and 1 tsp rolled oats. Apply all over your face and let it dry, then rinse thoroughly.
- Green Tea, Sugar & Cream Scrub: For dry, rough skin, you can steep a green tea bag, open it up and mix the insides with 1 tsp cream and 1 tsp sugar, then apply to the skin in small circles, scrubbing off dead skin cells.
READ MORE: 8 Ways to Use Cinnamon As A Beauty Product
DIY Green Tea Recipes For Hair:
Tea in your hair?! Give it a try: Green tea is known to stimulate hair growth and treat the scalp.
- Green Tea Conditioner: For extra smooth and shiny hair, steep 2 tea bags in 3 cups of hot water, allow to cool, and use as a final rinse after washing.
- Green Tea Dandruff Remedy: Take 1 cup water, add 2 Tbsp. green tea leaves, 1 lemon peel and 4 Tbsp. of coconut oil. Heat the mixture for two minutes on a stovetop, or about 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave, then let it cool down completely. Apply to your scalp and hair using a cotton ball, then massage with fingers. Keep on for 45 minutes then rinse thoroughly.
- Green Tea Deep Conditioner: After steeping 2 green tea bags in 1 cup of hot water, add 1 Tbsp coconut oil and 1 Tbsp honey. Mix thoroughly and then apply to scalp and hair, leaving on for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly (get all that honey out!). The scalp will be moisturized and the cuticle of the hair smoothed.
- Green Tea Hair Growth Mask: Take 2 Tbsp well-steeped green tea and beat an egg into it. Apply to the scalp and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
- Other Teas To Use For Hair: You can use black tea on brunette and black hair and chamomile tea can have a brightening effect on blondes. To use, steep well, then pour/apply to your head. Let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing.
READ MORE: 25 Ways To Use Olive Oil As A Beauty Product
DIY Green Tea Recipes For Your Body:
- Green Tea Body Scrub: Take a cup of green tea and add 1 cup sugar (if it’s not cool enough, the sugar will dissolve!). Add ½ cup coconut oil and 1 Tbsp honey, mix well, then get to scrubbing those dry elbows, knees and heels!
- Toothpaste: In addition to all the health benefits of green tea (there are a million), a Japanese study in 2009 discovered that people who sip green tea regularly have healthier gums and teeth than those who don’t. To boost this power, mix wet green tea leaves and baking soda and brush away. You can also use a cup of green tea as mouthwash.
